| The 7 Laws of Self-growth for the Twenty-First Century Woman |
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If you are not aiming at becoming a better person in 2010, you might as well begin by completely deleting your entire list of resolutions for this New Year. Any pledges of loosing weight, doing more exercise, or going to the beauty salon more often in 2010, will be useless if you are pledging them from the wrong standpoint.
The only resolutions that have any chance of surviving beyond January are those that are intentionally made to help you become a better human being. Why? Because desiring to change the outside (weight, hair color, nails etc.) without changing the inside (thoughts and feelings) is pointless. Self-growth is always the best area to begin making long-lasting pledges.
So, we want you to think about those emotional and spiritual areas of your life that you want to begin improving in 2010. Here's a list of 7 critical laws for self-growth in the twenty-first century. We hope they help you to re-write your resolutions list for 2010: 1. The law of invitation -Your character, posture, words, facial expressions, and demeanor, say something about you, they are the external language of what you feel inside. This language translates to people how they should treat you, and even the level of respect that they should give to you. There will always be people to embrace and uplift you, or envy and ill-treat you. The type of people you invite into your life will depend on the message about yourself that you present to the world.
What group of people will you invite in your life this year? 2. The law of originality - The famed quote by Shakespeare: "above all, to thine own self be true" has truly deep meaning. As long as women continue to want to be photocopies of the standards set by society for us we will never be true to ourselves. The only way to be original in this world is to make a conscious effort to remain original. Set your own beauty standards and create your own fashion statements. Live your life within the reality of the original you.
How original will you be in 2010?
3. The law of requirement - You've heard the saying: "to whom much is given much is required". Stop and take a good look around you, you have been blessed immensely. There are other women in the world who suffer from real hunger, and live under the pain and uncertainty of war and conflict. A requirement for the true acknowledgment of gratitude is to give back. It's not enough to say, "I've been blessed", after a while even that can become boastful. You need to take real action and give back. For every blessing that you enjoy today, know that it is not because you are more deserving. Consequently, each one of the small miracles that you enjoy requires your tangible gratitude.
In what ways will you tangibly show your gratitude in 2010?
4. The law of intense commitment - To achieve anything in life, you've got to get into the game and play hard. If you don't, you'll always find yourself sitting on the sidelines, wondering why you don't have what it takes to make it, what you need do to get in, or grudging others for doing what you wish you could. Be intensely committed to living your life to the fullest. This means that you need to be intensely committed to being the best that you can be.
What will you be intensely committed to this year?
5. The law of life investment - Whatever you give out into the world you will receive in return. In other words, what you give is what you get. If you pour negativity, resentment, anger, and strife into your relationships, that you will attract in return. It is a basic law of life: what goes around comes around, you can only reap what you sow.
What type of emotional investments will you make in your relationships this year?
6. The law of purposeful upliftment - When you make a purposeful effort to uplift others you automatically uplift yourself. Purposeful upliftment does not discriminate or limits it self to friends and family. Purposeful upliftment is in no way flattery or false admiration. Instead purposeful upliftment is making a genuine purposeful effort to applaud, praise, and recognize someone - even for the smallest act.
Who in your life do you need to purposefully uplift this year?
7. The law of mobility - Positive self-growth requires change. Change requires movement. Check your emotional thermometer. Are you standing at the same place that you were standing last year? Feeling the same anger and resentment over the same issues with the same people? If your answer is yes, this might be a sign that you are in need of self-growth. Let this be one of your goals for 2010 to find the adequate help and strength to move on and up emotionally.
What is your personal plan for self-growth in 2010?
© Copyright 2009 by Norka Blackman-Richards Norka Blackman-Richards, is the chief editor of 4 Real Women and Para Mujeres Reales, two online communities for women. A writer, a minister's wife, and an empowerment speaker on women issues, Norka is also the president and founder of 4 Real Women International, Inc., which serves as the non-profit division of these online communities. She can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
In the twenty-first century self-growth has become mandatory for long-term success and for women, in particular, it should become our constant quest. In spite of our many advancements in the professional, political, and academic arenas women today are still under emotional, spiritual, and physical attack. When women begin to understand, see, and treat their place in this universe with its God-given sense of entitlement, then both men and children will begin to value our contributions as priceless. Yes, we've come along way but we've still got ways to go.